Predators coach critical after loss to Kings, expecting changes

Comments from Nashville coach Barry Trotz following the Predators 5-1 loss to the Kings on Monday night…

– On going 0-3-0 on the road trip: “It’s sort of been a trip from hell, this trip. We’ve given up two power play goals every game. We haven’t been able to generate enough offensively, and from that standpoint. Our confidence and our belief system is not great because we’ve had some rough games here…I thought we did a real good job containing some big bodies and all that. Once they scored the second back-to-back goal, right away, it was sort of game-set-match. That’s tough to take. We’re going to have to make some changes. We’re going to have to change some guys. It’s not working for us. We’re 1-5-0 in our last six, but we’re the same team that went 7-2-3.”

– On the overall team: “I have a lot of faith in the group, but a lot of guys aren’t getting it done right now, and collectively we’re all to blame for not getting it done. So myself, the coaching staff, the players; as a group, we’re not getting it done and that falls on us. We have to get home, regroup. We have two home games, and we’re going to have to get this turned around real quickly.”

– On making changes: “Well obviously we got Bobby Butler. We picked him up. You know from that standpoint. Somebody’s going to be getting knocked out of the lineup. We’ve only had 20 guys. So there’s no backside pressure by anybody. We don’t have any extra guys right now, so everybody’s comfortable. The comfort level is going to be out the door, because A, we’re going to be looking at recalling some people, or obviously we picked up Bobby Butler on waivers. I’m sure our management and scouts are out there looking. I know the last couple days they’ve met, and trying to improve us. So that’s what it is right now. Now we’re not playing good as a hockey team, and then we’re not winning games where you have to win hockey games. And they have to produce as a group, and they have to produce individually. If you’re not producing individually, then you’re probably not producing as a group.”

– On Jeff Carter having good success against Nashville: “He has had good success against us. Yeah, I mean, he’s got the great wrist shot. You know he had time on the…He got a little bit fortunate. It was a lucky night for him. You know he had, the first goal was a little bit lucky, second one was a little bit lucky, and then he had third one and obviously buried it. So when the puck…Things are going your way, pucks are ending up on your stick. He’s a great player. He’s got lots of finish, scored a lot of goals. So you know, tonight was his night.”

– On Gabriel Bourque scoring too little too late: “Well you know when you look at our hockey team…You want production from everyone. Bourque’s our leading scorer right now. In terms of goals. I don’t think anybody in the world expected that. So, you know we’re 22-23 games in here. You don’t expect that. So he’s doing some good things. We need other people to chip in too.

– On Rich Clune being limited as an agitator while wearing a cage: “Well anybody who’s banged up or whatever, limits them a little bit. Yeah, Cluner can agitate, but you know, the agitation wasn’t a problem today.”

Bonus quotes from the Predators’ locker room…

Pekka Rinne on the overall game – “It’s hard to win games when I am not making saves. We played pretty well in the beginning of the game then we snowballed. It was just a rough game. Every shot went in for them it seemed in the third. They had 10 shots on net and four goals at one point. It’s just terrible. I have no excuse. It’s something you have to be better at in the league if you want to win games.”

Shea Weber on the overall game – “We had pretty good two road periods there. They got a lucky power play goal in the second. We have to find a way to respond and come back. We got to finish and play 60 minutes. Obviously we aren’t scoring right now; we have to find a way to do that. We are giving up a lot of goals too. A whole game we have to fix. We had a tough road trip but now we have to try to figure it out when we get back.”

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Comments

What an a-hole. Lucky on the first, maybe, but that’s what happens when you drive the net. He’s losing his team and he’s acting like it. Disparaging a great performance by JC…low class. He’d be all over it if it was his player. I just lost alot of respect for Barry has the Trotz.

Of course he’s going to try and justify JC’s hat trick. The defense was laying down on the job and they had a Swiss cheese goaltender. Were all the goals stoppable? Maybe. That’s for the goalie coach to determine.

At least Trotz didn’t try and blame refs and he didn’t say things were apparently doomed from the start. At least he’s more mature than Babcock to admit his team didn’t come out and play hard

How refreshing, a coach that takes responsibility for his team’s wins and losses. There was no finger pointing, no throwing anyone under the bus, bitching about PP goals or anything like that. Kudos to Trotz for acting like a grown up